I love you fellow pedes and I love this website. This is my first post ever. I've spent way to much time on here since the election.

I judge no one for being skeptical of the vaccine. Public health officials have been next to worthless. The lockdowns are draconian. Politicians are allowed to live outside the rules they have forced on the rest of us. The fear mongering and the abuses that have come along with it are unacceptable. I'm under 40 with no major health problems....so why the fuck did I take the vaccine?

In no particular order here are my three major reasons:

1. I am concerned about the long term effects COVID has on the body even after acute recovery from mild disease

I am an ER doc and I walk into COVID rooms daily. Over the past year I've seen a number of people my age struggling for air and having to be admitted. Some of this younger population ultimately died. I admit these are outliers. However, we did don't know what COVID does to the body long term. We are seeing a lot of chronic fatigue in people that have recovered as well as cardiomyopathy. In some of these patients deemed "long haulers" the fatigue is lasting months. If I have to role the dice between the risks of the vaccine and COVID, Ill go with the vaccine. Yes, I considered Bells Palsy etc.

2. Protecting my family

I've also got parents with chronic conditions that put them in a super high risk group if they contract COVID. I've barely seen them over the past year. Theoretically I could have such a mild case I wouldn't know it and pass it to them. I wish I could give my vaccine to one of them. Unfortunately, thats not how it works and since I am the most likely vector in their lives, I'll take the shot.

3. Possible mutation to a strain that is more lethal

I know the overall risks for a younger healthy person are low. We are recently seeing strains that are apparently more infectious. This is concerning, but not near as concerning as the possibility the virus could either mutate or acquire some factors that make it more lethal.

Call me shill. I don't care. I'll keep you guys updated when I get my second dose. Thats the one that apparently really sucks.